ALIN with support from the UKaid and USAID through the Agile and Harmonised Assistance for Devolved Institutions (AHADI) Project implemented a 7-month Project in 2018-2019 dubbed “Enhancing Access to information held by Meru County Government.”
The Project entailed establishing, equipping and operating a Citizen Service Centre. The Centre is a centralized ICT facility used for receiving and transmitting requests from Meru County residents through a toll-free telephone line, SMS and other communication channels.
The project addressed limited access to information on preparation and submission of budget estimates and information on budget during the public hearing on budget in Meru County, low understanding of the importance of public participation, low understanding by citizens on their right to access information and low capacity of Non-State Actors (NSAs) to engage Meru County Government.
Milestones
- Increased access to simplified information on governance and devolution as a result of the 1,114,734 curated SMS disseminated to 40,098 Meru County residents
- Enhanced Non-state Actors coordination in Meru County as a result of improved communication and networking supported by ALIN through information sharing on the Access to Information Act, 2016, Meru County Public Participation Act, 2014 and related updates
- Increased involvement of NSAs in Meru County Sector Working Group meetings and participation in the budget-making process
- Non-state Actors able to engage with relevant Meru County departments in planning, advocacy, Public Expenditure Management and citizen engagement after being clustered according to the specific sectoral working groups
- Communication and information access needs of 60 Non-State Actors in Meru County established
- Enhanced capacity of 63 Non-State Actors on use of Web 2.0 platforms to communicate and share information on governance and devolution with Meru County residents.
- Increased exchange of devolution and governance information between 63 NSAs working in Meru County